Nobody has to remind Browns coach Mike Pettine time is running out to fix the offense.
With only one practice game remaining, the first-team offense has yet to score a touchdown against an opposing first-team defense. Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer did not post a touchdown against the Lions or Redskins in a total of six possessions, and by the time he did find the end zone on Aug. 23 the backups from the Rams were in the game.
“I believe in the coaching staff,” Pettine said in a conference call Aug. 24. “I believe in the players in that locker room.
“We have a system we’re trying to implement. You don’t get into midseason form trying to implement something overnight, but it’s no time to panic. I’m confident by the time we get to Pittsburgh we’ll have a good gameplan, and we’ll put our players on offense in the best position to be successful.”
Pettine compared the scheme of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to what the Browns ran last year under offensive coordinator Norv Turner as “by NFL standards radically different from what your guys are used to. You have new players in it as well, and you’re mixing veterans with rookies and free agents. Guys are all very new to each other, and they’re new to the staff.”
The Browns open the season Sept. 7 in Pittsburgh, where they haven’t won since 2003 when Tim Couch was the starting quarterback. Pettine reaffirmed during the conference call Hoyer will start against the Steelers and admitted for the first time waiting until Aug. 20 to name a starting quarterback put Hoyer behind working with the starters exclusively.
“We’re definitely a work in progress, but we have a very true sense of urgency,” Pettine said. “If we’re not ready, nobody’s going to change Sept. 7 back for us.
“We have to be ready for the opener. That’s why we’re going to take the field this week and the time after that with a very strong sense of urgency.”
The Browns host the Bears in a preseason game Aug. 28 at 8 p.m.
Making up for lost time with Hoyer working with the starters will make it difficult to incorporate a package for Johnny Manziel, Pettine said — although it would be a surprise if he announced to the Steelers they are cooking something up special plays for Manziel to run or throw on the move.
Manziel scored on a seven-yard run against the Rams. A week earlier, a short pass by Manziel to Dion Lewis went for an eight-yard touchdown.
Part of that crunched together practice time for Hoyer will mean more work with starting wide receiver Miles Austin, who was held out of spring practice because of tender hamstrings. He had some practice time with Manziel in training camp even on days Hoyer was working with the first team.
Nate Burleson, another offseason free-agent signing, has a hamstring injury and hasn’t practiced or played since Aug. 6.
“That’s the unfortunate thing about Miles,” Pettine said. “We wanted to hold him out in the spring a little bit, so he missed all that work. We wanted him to be comfortable and to be to a point where he felt confident physically and he’s playing catchup in camp, but we’re confident we’ll get there with Miles.
“It’s a little more concerning with Nate just because he’s missed so much time. We still consider him day-to-day. I think we might get him tomorrow for some individual work, but that remains to be seen.”
Austin missed five games with a hamstring injury while with the Cowboys in 2013. He caught 24 passes while playing in 11 games with eight starts.
Burleson missed seven games with a broken arm while with the Lions last season. He caught 39 passes in nine games with eight starts.Explanation
The Browns are resigned to the fact Josh Gordon will be suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, so they decided to not play him against the Rams. Gordon has been bothered by an abdominal injury.
“The decision is looming that we’re fairly certain that we’re not going to have him for at minimum some part of the year, so we wanted to make sure we were getting repetitions with the guys that are going to be out there early,” Pettine said. “It wasn’t anything from a punishment standpoint or anything like that. It was just common sense.”
Gordon ended a two-day appeal Aug. 4. A ruling is expected from he NFL this week.Lewis No. 3
Dion Lewis, who was having a good training camp last summer until a broken leg ended his season, has emerged as the third running back behind Ben Tate and Terrance West, Pettine said.
He is competing with Chris Ogbonnaya, Edwin Baker and undrafted rookie Isaiah Crowell for a backup job. Lewis has 10 carries for 21 yards and five catches for 16 yards and a touchdown in preseason.
Rosters must be down to 75 by 4 p.m. on Aug. 26. The Browns made no cuts Aug. 24.Focus time
Pettine did not cut cornerback Justin Gilbert any slack for being a rookie. Gilbert gave up two touchdown passes to the Rams in the second quarter.
“The NFL is a tough road now for a rookie corner,” Pettine said. “The only silver lining is that he had a night like that heading into the regular season, that he sees that playing corner in the NFL is very much a ‘what have you done lately’ business. You’ve got to be prepared and focused every time you step on the field.
“He needs to get some things cleaned up from a technique standpoint. I think there were a couple of plays where he kind of got away from things that he had been doing well. He needs to step it up and know that every time he takes the field that he has to be 100 percent focused.
Gilbert is projected as the starting right cornerback.
Joe Haden missed the game against the Rams with a foot injury. He will be rested against the Bears but could have played against St. Louis had it been a regular season game, Pettine said.